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Albert Camus

Don't walk behind me; I may not lead. Don't walk in front of me; I may not follow. Just walk beside me and be my friend.

Saturday, March 30, 2013

Reaper's Novice (Soul Collector #1) by Cecilia Robert Book Blitz

Description:

17- year- old Ana Maria
Tei’s life has always been perfect: loving parents, good grades, and a
future so bright it outshone the sun. But now words like “separation”
and “divorce” are sending her world plummeting to hell. Determined to
keep her family intact, Ana plans a family-bonding trip from Vienna to
Tuscany. Except fate has other plans. Ana’s parents and siblings are
killed in a car accident on their way to pick Ana up from school.

Enter
Grim, aka Ernest. He promises to relinquish the four souls if Ana
agrees to trade her soul for theirs and serve a lifetime as his novice.
In order for Ana to graduate from her Reaper’s Novice station to a Soul
Collector graduate, Grim puts her to test. To her horror, she finds out
becoming a Reaper’s Novice didn’t happen by chance. It was preordained,
and she is forced to make a choice: save her family’s souls or come to
terms with who she really is and complete the task set for her.

About the author:Cecilia Robert lives in Vienna
with her two children, has an incurable obsession with books, anything
romantic, TV and medieval architecture. When not working in her full
time job, catching up with her two children, writing or reading, she can
be found, knitting or crocheting, taking photos of old buildings.

It’s
almost two in the morning when Zig appears to escort me home. He hovers on the
doorway, his arms folded across his broad chest. “You don’t need to,” I say.

His
eyebrows shoot up. “Are you planning on walking home?”

I
cross my arms over my chest. “I can make it to my room without your help. I
picked up a few things during practise, you know.”

“Can
you, really?” He swaggers into the room. “A gentleman always sees the lady home and safely tucked in bed. Safely.”

I
roll my eyes as I tug the edge of my skirt lower. It’s so tiny it should be
declared illegal. My dinner gown was disposed of, or so I was told. Don’t they
have washing machines? I really loved that gown. “I’m not in the mood to argue,
Zig.”

He
halts before me, eyebrows raised, and smiles. “What are you in the mood for?”

“My
mood,” I snatch the clutch bag from the bed, “has nothing to do with you.” I’m
not sure the little shifting knowledge I mustered will help me reach home. All
I know is I want to get far away from Grim’s castle, lose myself, and not think
about tonight’s dinner. Even if it means getting lost shifting back home.

I
brush past him and towards the door. His strong fingers wrap around my wrist,
yanking me around. He narrows his eyes. “I have a theory.”

My
heart thumps violently until I feel as if my chest will rupture. Sweat beads on
my forehead. Does he know what happened in the library? I clear my throat and
lift my chin forwards. “What theory?”

“You’re
trying to pick a fight with me. Have to warn you, though, I always win.”

“What?” I squeak. My legs almost buckle
in relief.

It
happens so fast I don’t have enough time to process his actions. He slips one
arm on my waist, and the other glides up my back until his hand holds my head
firmly in place. I blink, and his lips are on mine, kissing me. Kissing me!

What
on earth? I twist my body to raise my arms. Too late. They are trapped between
our bodies. Considering his height, bulk, and strength, which I feel pressing
onto my bones, I’m at a disadvantage. His arm and hand are like steel around my
waist and head. How had I not seen this coming? I stop my struggles, hoping
he’ll get the hint. He doesn’t. His kisses taste like curiosity and peppermint.
The eyes staring into mine gleam with amusement and… a challenge.

This
is nothing close to Rolf’s sensual, toe-curling kisses. And I have a feeling
Zig won’t stop anytime soon.

I
lift my high-heeled foot and slam it down on his. Immediately, his lips leave
mine. He takes a step back, a grin on his face. Is he made of stone? I’m sure I
used a lot of force.

“What
the hell do you think you’re doing?” I brush my tingling lips with the back of
my trembling hand.

“Cheering
you up.” He shoves his hands inside his pants pockets.

Heat
spreads all over my body until I feel as though I’ll explode into thousands of
pieces. It pools on my fisted hands, tangling with tonight’s frustration
build-up. I lift my right arm and swing. It lands perfectly on his chin, and I
curse my height for the misplaced aim. I was aiming for the nose. He smiles
wider, as if I patted him.

“Don’t
you ever kiss me again, Zig. Ever.”
My knuckles are on fire, and moisture gathers at the corners of my eyes. I
swallow the tears threatening to spill.

“You
enjoyed it. Your eyes say so.”

Before
I can stop myself, I swing my left arm. It lands on his chest. His body doesn’t
budge an inch.

“You
can do better than that, lovely Ana.”

My
tolerance quota of the day has been reached and surpassed. “Are you angering me
on purpose?”

“Clearly,
it’s working.” He holds his palms up, facing me, legs braced to balance his
weight. “Come on.” With hands raised like he’s some sort of trainer, he looks
hot.

I
bite my lip as I stare at him. “Why are you doing this?”

He
shrugs, still grinning, and beckons me with his hands. I kick my heels to the
side and fold my hands into fists. Tiny fists compared to his huge ones. I
swing anyway.

Five
minutes later, I stop and lean forwards, wheezing unhealthily. Was that the
best I could do? Five minutes and breathing like I’ll drop dead in the next
second? So disgusting.

My
chest is on fire. “Why would I need those?” I wince as I massage my knuckles. I
doubt my fingers will manage to hold a pen in class in the morning. I should’ve
taken those defence classes Lea slaved away to complete two years ago. They
seemed like torture back then.

“Eternity
is a very long time. People tend to get bored doing nothing. Feeling better?”

“Extremely
invigorated.” I wanted to punch something during the course of the night. This
was a great escape. My breathing regulates. “Wasn’t there another way to get me
all worked up instead of kissing me?”

“I
was thinking on my feet.” He grins, brushing a thumb along his lips.

“Well,
next time try to think while sitting,” I snap at him.

“Oh,
come on. Don’t be angry with me. Let’s get you home.”

Seconds
later, we’re standing inside my bedroom. He strides towards the door, lifts his
hand in a small arc, and mutters under his breath to un-spell my door.

I
really need to learn that.

“You
look exhausted. Need help with anything?” he asks, stretching his long body.

“Can
you change forms and attend class for me in the morning?”

He
chuckles. “Sorry, can’t help you there, lovely Ana. I was never good in keeping
with school rules.”